Toy for dental engines



ay 13, 1952 c. J. GARDETTO 2,596,232

TOY FOR DENTAL ENGINES Filed Aug. 15, 1947 mu em-oz CHHEA rs J. 63km A'rra nan-v5 Patented May 13, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TDY FOR DENTAL ENGINES Charles J. Gardetto, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application August 15, 1947, Serial No. 768,755

5 Claims. 46--122) This invention relates to a toy applicable to a dental engine.

It is a primary object of the invention to provide a novel means for amusing a patient while he is undergoing dental treatment and diverting his attention from the work of the dentist. The objects will appear in more detail in connection with the following disclosure of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in side elevation showing the invention as it appears in use on a dental engine.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in front elevation of a toy embodying the invention.

Fig. 3 is a view showing the toy in rear elevation.

Fig. 4 is a detail view taken in vertical section through the toy and the cord of the dental engine.

Figs. 5 and 6 are enlarged detail views showing slightly modified embodiments of the invention.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view partially in section and partially in perspective showing a further modified embodiment of the connection between the toy and the cord.

The dental engine chosen to illustrate the use of the invention comprises the usual articulated framework provided at its joints with pulleys, over which operates the cord 1 which serves as a belt to transmit power from the motor 8 to the pulley 9 on the spindle of the handpiece.

The toy comprises any desired figure I 0 out from thin sheet rubber or the like and suitably decorated to represent, for example, the dog shown in Fig. 2, or the rabbit shown at II in Fig. 1. While it is not essential that rubber be used, I have found either natural or synthetic rubber to be ideal, inasmuch as great resilient flexibility is required in order that the toy may pass freely about the many pulleys traversed by the cord 1. In many instances, the cord passes through guides such as those shown at l2, and the pliability of the toy figure must be such that it will traverse these guides without any serious resistance to the movement of the cord or belt.

In cutting out each figure, an integral base or support I5 is provided to extend along the cord. There must also be some means for conveniently mounting the device on the cord, preferably without any necessity for severing or opening the belt.

I have found it convenient to provide, in the base portion [5 of the toy, two rows of staggered holes at It and I! through which a light helical spring l8 may be laced and made to en- 2 circle the cord by rotating the helical spring, and thereby feeding it successively through the holes and about the cord.

If desired, I re-enforce the base about the openings as suggested in Figs. 5 and 6. In Fig. 5, the holes I and I'll] in the base I50 have been re-enforced by molding the base to provide an annular bead at [9 around each hole. In Fig. 6, the base and its apertures are exactly as shown in Fig. 4, but they have been re-enforced by cementing or otherwise laminating a separate ply 20 to the base, the re-enforcing ply having registering apertures at 2| and 22.

The resilient and flexible sheet stock from which the toy is preferably blanked out should desirably be just sufficiently stiff to be reasonably self-supporting and to resume its upright position after passing through a guide or about a pulley. Yet, as above stated, it should be so limp as to be deformable with the greatest of ease so that it offers no substantial resistance in passing the pulleys or guides. A thin sheet of dental rubber is ideal. The helical spring used as a connector should also be very light and very flexible.

Fig. 7 exemplifies another of the numerous attaching means which may conveniently be employed. Eyelets or rivets 23, passing at intervals through the base of the sheet stock i5 comprising the toy, may hold thereto individual spring hooks 25, each of which is formed to partially encircle the dental engine cord 1. These books may be snapped over the cord for lateral engagement therewith much more easily and speedily than the spring Hi can be wound thereon and laced through the openings l6, l1. Since there is no connection between successive hooks 25, the inherent flexibility'of the cord 1 is not impaired at all.

Where the required conditions of flexibility are taken into consideration, it will be found that the toy interferes in no way with the ordinary routine use of the dental engine. Yet, the movement of the toy in the circuitous path which it follows with the cord or belt is a source of continued fascination to patients, particularly to children, who never seem to tire of watching a dog chase a rabbit (for example) upon the circuitous path of the belt.

I claim:

1. A toy applicable to the cord or belt of a dental engine to pass freely therewith about the pulleys of such engine, said toy comprising a thin sheet of rubber having just suiilcient body to resume its form after deformation, said rubber sheet having a mounting portion applicable to apertures of the mounting portion a plurality of times with intervening encirclement of the belt.

3. The combination set forth in claim 2 in which the apertures are marginally re-enforced.

4. The combination with the operating belt cord of a dental engine, of a toy mounted thereon to partake of the movement of said cord, said toy comprising a resiliently flexible sheet of rubber having a figure portion and a mounting portion, the mounting portion extending along the cord and being provided withstaggered rows of apertures, and a flexible connector comprising a wire helix placed through the apertures and en- 1 circling the cord for attaching the toy to'the cord.

5. The combination set forth in claim 4 in further combination with a second light toy upon the cord in spaced relation to the toy first mentioned, whereby the movement of the cord makes one of the toys appear to chase the other upon the path of the cord.

CHARLES J. GARDETTO.

REFERENCES CITED 'The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name 7 Date 698,340 Cook Apr. 22, 1902 1,128,458 'Kelomasz Feb. 15, 1915 1,861,282 7 Nelson May 31, 1932 1,952,940 ii'iabelos Mar. 27, 1934 

